NEWS ANALYSIS: Egoli’s crumbling infrastructure a true cliffhanger
Rampant vandalism and creaking infrastructure embodied by the 75-year-old substation servicing the City of Gold’s CBD
During the recent week-long power cut in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD), the metro lost R400m in electricity revenue in addition to the cost of replacing the stolen infrastructure that had plunged the area into darkness, says mayoral committee member for environment and infrastructure Nico de Jager. That week in September might not be the last time the lights go out in the CBD, says mayor Herman Mashaba, who revealed this week that one electricity substation was supplying the entire inner city. The substation is 75 years old — 30 years past its useful life, with parts having become unavailable 20 years ago. That week of darkness exemplifies Johannesburg’s dual-infrastructure problem: rampant vandalism characterised by cable theft and creaking infrastructure embodied by the 75-year-old substation servicing the City of Gold’s CBD.The substation, De Jager says, is being held together by "chewing gum and string" and when it fails, only one technician is qualified, or i...
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